I’ve been so wrapped up in multiple projects that I forgot to update this blog with JetLag RocknRoll’s latest incarnation! Years ago I attempted to produce online travel guides with wanderlustful rocknroll aficionados in mind but writing each listing was incredibly time consuming and a bit too ambitious for just one person. Last year, C suggested we make it a video form instead and ask local bands about their favorite spots in the places they call home. Well, the first episode is now live! It spotlights the San Francisco East Bay and features Shannon & the Clams, Tina Lucchesi of the Trashwomen, and Jesse Townley of Blatz. You can watch the video above and get more details about the businesses, places, and bands covered here.

Other destinations in the works include San Francisco, Tokyo, and Chicago. Check back here or jetlagrnr.com for new episodes!

In the early ’90s, when I was between the ages of 17 and 21, you could find me most weekends at 924 Gilman Street, an all-ages, non-profit, volunteer-run club in Berkeley that’s perhaps best known as the stomping ground of bands such as Green Day, Rancid, and AFI. It didn’t really matter who was playing—there was always at least one band on the five-band bill that turned out to be worth seeing. Sometimes a show even garnered national attention (e.g., the Insaints’ X-rated antics, the time Jello Biafra was assaulted by crusty punks).

My trips to Gilman grew increasingly infrequent with each passing year, even after Pyramid Brewery opened across the street and offered an alternative to Gilman’s functional but dank restrooms, sugar-laden snacks, questionable couches, and floor seating. (Pyramid closed last year.) I can’t remember the last time I watched all the bands…until last weekend’s two-day Uncool Fest.

So C and I are making a rock ‘n’ roll travel video series, the first of which focuses on the East Bay, and needed Gilman footage for it. Since I pretty much don’t know any of the local bands playing there these days, I was pleased to recognize a couple playing the second day: headliners SWMRS and opener Jakob Danger. Mind-bogglingly, both bands have the distinction of featuring the sons of Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong. How crazy is that?

Even crazier was the number of parents pressed up against the walls at the back of the room, no doubt wishing there was somewhere to sit or get a snack. Or maybe I’m just projecting.

But I digress. I arrived shortly before (who I thought would be) Jakob Danger kicked off the show and joined the gaggle of girls parked at the front of the stage. They were dedicated SWMRS fans, judging by their branded shirts and phone cases. Was this similar to what it feels like to attend a Justin Bieber concert? I’m sure I’ll never know.

In any case, the first band turned out to be Berkeley’s Mom Jeans. Jakob Danger had been moved to a middle slot, which is how I ended up staying for all six bands. Although, honestly, what would I have done between the first and last bands—shop for groceries at Whole Foods down the block?

All the bands, including San Francisco’s Dinosaurs and SoCal’s Melted and No Parents, were awesome and compelled sweaty, fervent pit action. The No Stagediving sign went unheeded. A giant dinosaur balloon bounced around the room during Dinosaurs’ set.

Throughout the night, the heaving crush of adolescent energy around the stage transported me back to my first few years at Gilman. In addition, I was headbutted in the face at one point and kicked in the head by a wayward foot at another, adding a corporeal element to my nostalgia. No wonder I didn’t take many photos back then! I was too busy thrashing around and surviving flying bodies and limbs to fiddle with a film camera. Oh well. I’ve since learned how to multitask a little better. Here’s a glimpse of the action, as well as my KALX playlist from 20 years ago.

]]>https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2016/02/12/uncool-fest-2016-day-2/feed/0jetlagrnrswmrs10momjeans1momjeans2dinosaurs1dinosaurs2dinosaurs3dinosaurs6dinosaurs4dinosaurs5melted1melted2melted3jakobdanger1jakobdanger2jakobdanger3noparents1noparents2noparents3noparents5noparents6noparents7swmrs1swmrs2swmrs3swmrs4swmrs5swmrs6swmrs7swmrs8swmrs9Love Wins: 2015 Revisitedhttps://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/love-wins-2015-revisited/
https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/love-wins-2015-revisited/#respondSat, 30 Jan 2016 21:49:12 +0000http://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/love-wins-2015-revisited/Wild About You Photography: What an epic year for love 2015 turned out to be! On a national level, the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26th landmark ruling declared that same-sex couples have the right to marry. On…]]>

What an epic year for love 2015 turned out to be! On a national level, the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 26th landmark ruling declared that same-sex couples have the right to marry. On a personal level, we were honored to join incredible couples on one of the most significant days of their lives together.

Our whirlwind year was marked by weddings on Valentine’s Day, Halloween, and New Year’s eve. We maneuvered around trains, planes, and automobiles, as well as buses, scooters, skateboards, and bikes. We even boarded a few to travel to Malibu, Chicago, Louisville (KY), Japan, and Taiwan. We befriended dogs, squirrels, gophers, sheep, horses, and 2000 cranes (the latter albeit of the paper variety). Our mouths dropped in awe when our couples shared their many talents: singing a cappella, swing dancing, Irish dancing, breakdancing, wiffle balling, levitating, frontside grinding, frolicking gleefully. Most importantly, we witnessed honest, unbridled laughter and…

]]>https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2016/01/30/love-wins-2015-revisited/feed/0jetlagrnrDiana & Andrew’s Engagement Adventures in Japanhttps://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2016/01/09/diana-andrews-engagement-adventures-in-japan/
https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2016/01/09/diana-andrews-engagement-adventures-in-japan/#respondSat, 09 Jan 2016 21:30:29 +0000http://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2016/01/09/diana-andrews-engagement-adventures-in-japan/Wild About You Photography: You might remember Andrew in his role as an undead stalker during Becca and Mike’s zombie engagement shoot in Golden Gate Park a while back. Well, he’s baaaaaaaaack! And we have the great…]]>

You might remember Andrew in his role as an undead stalker during Becca and Mike’s zombie engagement shoot in Golden Gate Park a while back. Well, he’s baaaaaaaaack! And we have the great pleasure of photographing his and Diana’s wedding later this year. When they casually mentioned that they might like to do a Tokyo Vice–style pre-wedding session, we couldn’t believe our ears.

“We’re gonna be in Japan in November!” we exclaimed. “Can you join us there?”

They looked at each other, mouths agape, until squeals of excitement escaped from both of them. Soon we were all squealing. Lily has been friends with them for several years through martial arts so we knew that they’re fun-loving, energetic, and always hungry—in other words, a blast to hang out with!

Our two-day adventure together began in Osaka, Japan’s third-largest city. With our trusty dSLRs and a hefty Pentax…

]]>https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2016/01/09/diana-andrews-engagement-adventures-in-japan/feed/0jetlagrnrJessica & Nathan’s Fun-Filled Chicago Engagement Sessionhttps://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/jessica-nathans-fun-filled-chicago-engagement-session/
https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/jessica-nathans-fun-filled-chicago-engagement-session/#respondThu, 30 Jul 2015 18:27:09 +0000http://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/30/jessica-nathans-fun-filled-chicago-engagement-session/Wild About You Photography: Chris and Nathan have been skate buddies for over a decade so we were thrilled when he and his bride Jessica asked us to photograph their wedding later this year. Since they’re tying…]]>

Chris and Nathan have been skate buddies for over a decade so we were thrilled when he and his bride Jessica asked us to photograph their wedding later this year. Since they’re tying the knot in Louisville, KY, they thought it’d be fun to take pictures around their home in Chicago. And fun we had!

The first stop of our two-part session was the freshly painted “Chicago” mural that Victor Ving of Greetings Tour had just completed. (Lily had spotted it as she rode the train into town that morning.) We then headed to Logan Square for a fierce Star Wars bubble battle and daring dandelion fluff blow-off.

A bit lightheaded and sticky afterward from being so adorable, Nathan and Jessica called upon The Force and zipped us over to Lake Michigan at Pier 31. There, we caught the sunset and watched as lights twinkled on across the city. We…

Roughly 10 miles away from the beaches of Malibu and tucked amid the Santa Monica Mountains, Calamigos Ranch is not your typical ranch. Sure, it’s outfitted with a Ferris wheel, carousel, and summer-camp concession stands of yore, but it’s their majestic oak tree—a breathtaking beauty that radiates with the wisdom of a hundred sunrises—that Katy and Phil fell in love with. It was the perfect setting for their one-of-a-kind wedding.

Their special day started at Westlake Village Inn, the site of our couple’s engagement (you can take a peek at their ridiculously fun save-the-date video here). Many tears were shed and hugs were shared as they giddily got ready. Katy slipped into a stunning full-length strapless gown with an intricate bodice, while Phil rocked a custom blue suit and a snappy, partially paisley vest. Even Lady, their furry ring bearer, dressed up for the occasion…

]]>https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/17/katy-phils-magical-malibu-ranch-wedding/feed/0jetlagrnrBurger Boogaloo 2015: Pretty Faces (Going to Hell)https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/burger-boogaloo-2015-pretty-faces-going-to-hell/
https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/burger-boogaloo-2015-pretty-faces-going-to-hell/#respondMon, 13 Jul 2015 18:59:57 +0000http://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/burger-boogaloo-2015-pretty-faces-going-to-hell/Wild About You Photography: The 2015 Burger Boogaloo may be over (surf over to our Day 1 and Day 2 posts if you need a little help remembering or simply want to bask in the afterglow) but…]]>

The 2015 Burger Boogaloo may be over (surf over to our Day 1 and Day 2 posts if you need a little help remembering or simply want to bask in the afterglow) but we’re still stunned that upwards of 5,000 folks converged upon Oakland’s Mosswood Park over July 4th weekend. And to think we only encountered a tiny fraction of them at any given time!

Although tracking down our friends was seriously like a page out of the bizarro-edition of Where’s Waldo?, we had a blast seeing familiar faces from near and far and meeting new ones. Our biggest doubletake was when we walked past a sweet couple whose wedding we shot on Valentine’s Day earlier this year—what a fantastic surprise! Thanks again to Total Trash Productions and Burger Records for bringing us all together! Here are some of the loveable mugs (and other body parts) we immortalized…

]]>https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/13/burger-boogaloo-2015-pretty-faces-going-to-hell/feed/0jetlagrnrBurger Boogaloo 2015: Day 2https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/burger-boogaloo-2015-day-2/
https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/burger-boogaloo-2015-day-2/#respondThu, 09 Jul 2015 21:06:02 +0000http://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/burger-boogaloo-2015-day-2/Wild About You Photography: We’ll be honest: Day 1 of the Burger Boogaloo (and the Clorox Girls reunion show afterward) totally kicked our butts and we found ourselves moving much more slowly on Sunday. Unfortunately, this caused…]]>

We’ll be honest: Day 1 of the Burger Boogaloo (and the Clorox Girls reunion show afterward) totally kicked our butts and we found ourselves moving much more slowly on Sunday. Unfortunately, this caused us to miss Vial completely and fail to get within acceptable shooting range of Dancer, Guantanamo Baywatch (photos of their 2013 performance are here), and King Khan & BBQ Show. Bummer!

Still, we caught a good chunk of the action, including Gooch Palms’ amp-climbing antics, the Sneaky Pinks’ red-hot revue, and the Black Lips’ attempt to keep everyone’s hands clean. One guy even launched a bottlerocket from the middle of the Flesh Land amphitheater before the Black Lips hit the stage (and was immediately escorted off the property). We can’t imagine how Total Trash and Burger Records will top this weekend but we’re sure they’ll find a way! Until then, enjoy our recap!

]]>https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/09/burger-boogaloo-2015-day-2/feed/0jetlagrnrBurger Boogaloo 2015: Day 1https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/burger-boogaloo-2015-day-1/
https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/burger-boogaloo-2015-day-1/#respondTue, 07 Jul 2015 23:09:05 +0000http://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/burger-boogaloo-2015-day-1/Wild About You Photography: For the third year in a row, Total Trash Productions and Burger Records transformed Oakland’s family-friendly Mosswood Park into the Burger Boogaloo, the ultimate destination for garage punks, budget rockers, and fuzzheads across…]]>

For the third year in a row, Total Trash Productions and Burger Records transformed Oakland’s family-friendly Mosswood Park into the Burger Boogaloo, the ultimate destination for garage punks, budget rockers, and fuzzheads across the nation. This July 4th weekend extravaganza unveiled one additional stage to accommodate the fest’s growing size, and welcomed the hilariously bawdy proclamations of emcee John Waters, legendary film director and the pope of trash. (Mr. Waters, if you’re reading this, there really is a band named Anal Mucus…straight out of Concord, CA!)

It was a challenge hoofing it between the two stages (Flesh Land amphitheater, Psychoville stage) and maneuvering around 4,998 of our closest friends, but we managed to catch all the bands except for Shannon & the Clams (photos from their 2014 performance are here), who played right before the Mummies at Psychoville. Here’s what a mind-boggling lineup of sonic goodness looks like…

]]>https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/07/07/burger-boogaloo-2015-day-1/feed/0jetlagrnrJen & Roly’s Pre-Wedding Adventures in Taiwanhttps://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/jen-rolys-pre-wedding-adventures-in-taiwan/
https://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/jen-rolys-pre-wedding-adventures-in-taiwan/#respondSat, 13 Jun 2015 03:13:14 +0000http://jetlagrnr.wordpress.com/2015/06/12/jen-rolys-pre-wedding-adventures-in-taiwan/Wild About You Photography: If you follow us on Instagram or read our personal blogs back when we had time to blog about non-wedding-related miscellany, you might’ve gathered that we’re fans of international travel. In the ten…]]>

If you follow us on Instagram or read our personal blogs back when we had time to blog about non-wedding-related miscellany, you might’ve gathered that we’re fans of international travel. In the ten years that we’ve been together, we’ve journeyed to London, France, Spain, Germany, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macau, and Japan.

One destination that we can’t seem to stop visiting is Taiwan (four times in six years! Here’s one of Chris’s many posts and one of Lily’s), and we literally gasped with delight when Jen and Roly told us they’d be hosting an engagement banquet in Taipei (Jen’s family is Taiwanese) in addition to their Bay Area wedding. Knowing that they’d be doing a pre-wedding photoshoot in a studio while they were there, we offered to capture their explorations of the city—a vacation session, if you will. Happily, they agreed.